Sweetch Energy develops INOD®, a nanoscale-membrane and electrode system that harnesses osmotic energy to produce clean electricity from salt water. The technology uses high ion-selectivity membranes made from bio-sourced materials paired with exclusive electrode systems to enable industrial-scale power generation. The company is finalising a first demonstrator on the Rhône delta in partnership with Compagnie Nationale du Rhône (CNR) and plans to expand R&D, deploy initial industrial assembly lines, and pursue global expansion, especially in Europe and North America. Led by CEO Nicolas Heuzé, Sweetch works closely with French research institutions including teams of Professor Lydéric Bocquet (CNRS, ENS). Financially, the company has attracted industrial, deeptech and cleantech backers as well as public support to advance its technology deployment. Sweetch Energy is a Rennes-based climatetech company founded in 2015 that develops INOD® osmotic-energy systems to produce electricity from the salinity difference between river and sea water. Its core product uses a new generation of nanoscale membranes combined with proprietary electrode systems to achieve high ion selectivity and transport, and the membranes are made from bio-sourced, environmentally friendly materials. Osmotic energy is weather-independent and the company emphasizes that deltas and estuaries worldwide release nearly 30,000 TWh per year, positioning INOD® as a potentially large-scale renewable source. Sweetch has secured €6 million in financing led by EDF Hydro and CNR, with historical investors Go Capital, Demeter Investment Managers and Future Positive Capital participating, to support large-scale deployment. The company is partnering with CNR to validate INOD® on a pilot site in 2023 and with EDF Hydro to identify industrial-scale sites in France and overseas, including plans to exploit the Rhône delta—estimated at nearly 4 TWh/year. With this funding and industrial partnerships, Sweetch aims to accelerate commercialization and build the resources needed to rapidly bring osmotic electricity to market.

Total raised

$33M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Dec 2023